Lucy Goosey
by DNAisUnique
Summary: Stella/Lucy bonding time. Mac/Stella and Danny/Lindsay. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Set near the end of Lucy's Kindergarten year. Stella/Lucy bonding time.**

**For piper maru duchovny because she suggested a 'Lucy' fic.**

**VVVVV**

Stella's phone rang and she picked it up and looked at the display. Recognizing the number as one from the crime lab, she momentarily thought about not answering. This was the first day she's had off in nearly three weeks, and she was looking forward to some Stella-time. The phone trilled a few more times, and the cop instinct took over.

"Hello?"

"Stella, it's Lindsay."

If Lindsay was on the line, chances were she wasn't being called into work. "Hey, kiddo. What's up?"

Lindsay smiled. They'd known each other nearly a decade, and Stella still occasionally called her 'kiddo.' She felt like she was twelve. "Uh, I know it's your day off, but I need to ask a huge favor."

"Sure."

"Can you pick up Lucy from school? Danny and I are up to our necks in evidence, and I can't reach either of Lucy's sitters."

Floored by Lindsay's request, Stella somehow found herself saying 'yes.' She'd spent a lot of time around Lucy, but there had always been another adult present. She had no clue what to do in the one-on-one time with the mini-Messer.

Lindsay quickly gave her the directions to the school and the release time. "You're on the list of people who can pick her up, so there shouldn't be a problem. Danny and I will swing by and pick her up on our way home. Thanks, Stell. I owe you!"

They disconnected the call, and Stella stared at her phone wondering what she'd agreed to. A small part of her wished she'd been called into work.

VVVVV

Stella heard the bell ring, and moments later, the quiet halls erupted into squeals and peals of laughter. This was the students' favorite time of day. Stella looked at all the kids rushing past her, eyes searching for the 5-year old who was the perfect combination of Danny and Lindsay. Finally, she saw Lucy, trailing behind most of the children, seemingly in her own little world. Light brown pigtails--one slightly higher than the other, no doubt from a tough day on the playground--swung back and forth as Lucy meandered down the hall. Stella watched the little girl and silently berated herself for her earlier thoughts on entertaining Lucy. Everything would fall into place, and they would be okay.

A moment later Lucy recognized Stella and made a beeline for her. Being smaller than most of the other kids, she zigzagged between them and eventually launched herself into Stella's awaiting arms.

"Aunt Stella!" Lucy squealed with delight.

"Hey, baby girl!" Stella replied, returning Lucy's squeeze, though with less force.

"Uh-uh!" Lucy declared as she pulled back and kicked her feet, ready to be put back down. "Only Daddy calls me that."

"Oh, really?" Stella asked playfully.

"Yep!" Lucy told her, pigtails bouncing wildly.

"Well, then what am I supposed to call you?"

Lucy scrunched up her face and her tongue peeked between her lips as she thought. "Mostly people call me 'Lucy' or 'Luce,' but you can call me…'Katie!'"

"Katie?"

"Yeah, 'cause I like that name. Don't you like it, Aunt Stella?"

"Yes, it's a very pretty name. But why don't I call you, 'Lucy Goosey?!'" Stella punctuated the exchange by tickling Lucy's ribcage.

Lucy squealed again. "You're silly, Aunt Stella! Say it again!"

"Lucy Goosey," Stella repeated, again with the tickling. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, face red from laughing and trying to get away from the 'tickle fingers.'

"What do you usually do after school?" Stella asked as she took Lucy's hand and began walking toward the door.

"Um…get ice cream."

"Mommy, Daddy, and your sitters let you get ice cream?" Stella asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes…" It came out more like a question.

"Lucy Goosey, are you telling a lie?"

Lucy stopped walking and looked up at Stella, big crocodile tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She slowly nodded her head. "Uh-huh. I'm sorry, Aunt Stella. I won't lie ever again." A single tear slid down her cheek and she sighed heavily. "I just really like ice cream."

Stella's heart broke for the mini-Messer, and she squatted down until they were eye-level with each other.

"Tell you what," Stella said as she wiped the wetness from Lucy's face, "we'll get some ice cream, but only because this is a special occasion."

"'Cause you don't usually pick me up from school?"

Stella smiled. "Exactly."

Lucy grinned then and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes with the backs of her hands. "Aunt Stella?"

"Yeah, Luce?"

"I love you," Lucy said as she wrapped her arms around Stella's neck and buried her face in Stella's hair.

Stella had always heard there was nothing like the love of a child, but until that moment, she'd never witnessed it. Tears of her own threatened to fall, and she hugged Lucy tighter. "I love you, too, kiddo."

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! Thanks for all the feedback for chapter 1! Sorry this is so late. I told a few people that this chapter would be up by the end of last weekend, but with the login part of the site unavailable most of the weekend and the craziness of the first half of my week, this is the first chance I've had to post this chapter. Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

"Okay, Lucy Goosey, what kind of ice cream do you want?"

Lucy scrunched up her face, thinking hard. "Um…banilla!"

"Just vanilla?" Stella asked with a smile.

Lucy bounced excitedly. "Yeah, and sprinkles!"

Stella ordered their ice cream, and they moved to the register to pay. Stella paid and Lucy grabbed some napkins, anticipating her own messiness, and shifted from one foot to the other, eagerly awaiting her 'banilla' ice cream.

After what seemed like forever--to Lucy, anyway--the girl put the cups of ice cream on the counter, and Stella picked them up and carried them to a nearby table.

Lucy climbed onto the chair, knees and lower legs resting on the seat in an effort to make her tall enough to lean on the table and hover over the cup of ice cream. Stella slid the cup across the table, and Lucy immediately dug in, her entire hand gripped around the spoon's handle, which obviously made shoveling ice cream easier.

Stella laughed and wondered if Lucy was even tasting the 'banilla' ice cream. "Slow down there, Luce. You're going to get brain freeze."

"Nuh-uh!" Lucy declared, shaking her head. "Daddy says that ice cream can't really freeze your brain. It's just a pression."

"It's just what?"

"A pression."

"Oh, 'an expression,'" Stella said, finally understanding Lucy's attempt at using a 'big' word.

"Yeah," Lucy replied as she went back to ravishing her ice cream.

Lucy finished a short time later and grabbed a napkin and started cleaning up the drops of ice cream that had missed her mouth and landed on the table.

Stella finished her own ice cream as she watched the little girl carefully wipe off the table. Danny and Lindsay had obviously taught her well. She had excellent manners and knew that making a mess was acceptable as long as everything was cleaned up in the end.

"Aunt Stella," Lucy said, bringing Stella back into the moment, "what are we gonna do next?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

Lucy made her 'deep thinking' face again, and Stella held back a laugh. Finally, Lucy decided what she wanted to do.

"I want to go to the pet store and look at the puppies and kitties!"

Stella grinned and let out a half-laugh. "And if we go to the pet store, Lucy Goosey, you'll talk me into buying a puppy or a kitty."

Lucy responded with a grin of her own. "I think you need a puppy."

"I don't think Uncle Mac would be happy if I got a puppy."

Lucy cocked her head to the side. "Even if I told him the puppy was my idea?"

"You're very sneaky," Stella teased.

"Mommy says that's 'cause I'm like Daddy. He's sneaky, too."

Stella's smile grew wider. That statement was further proof that the five-year-old sitting across from her was the perfect combination of Danny and Lindsay Messer. She was persuasive and sneaky like Danny and emotional and detail-oriented like Lindsay.

"We can't go to the pet store, but you know what Uncle Mac would like?" Stella asked.

"What?"

"A picture of a puppy--especially if you made it."

"Yeah, I love coloring! And I can put it on the fridge for him and everything!"

Suddenly Lucy's mood shifted from ecstatic to somber.

"What's wrong, Luce?"

"I don't have any paper or crayons. They're all at school or my house."

"It's okay. We can make a quick trip to the store on the way home. Problem solved!"

A bright smile returned to Lucy's face, and she climbed down from the chair, eager to get the new supplies and start coloring. They threw away their trash, and Lucy skipped to the door, practically dragging Stella behind her.

Nearly an hour later, Stella's phone rang as she put the bags from the store on the kitchen counter.

She answered the phone, not bothering to check the I.D.

"Hey, Stell," Danny replied.

"Danny! I wondered if you were ever going to check in on your daughter," Stella joked.

"Linds and I knew she was in good hands. Is she close by?"

"Well, I don't know where she is at the moment… Of course she's here, Danny."

Danny fake-laughed. "I'll be sure to remember that if I'm ever watching your kids."

"Ain't gonna happen, Messer," Stella quipped. "Hey, Lucy Goosey," she called, "your daddy is on the phone."

Lucy immediately came racing into the kitchen and happily took the phone from Stella.

"Hi, Daddy!"

Stella listened to Lucy's side of the conversation as she put up the few groceries she'd bought at the store. Danny had obviously asked about Lucy's day, and Lucy told him seemingly everything that had happened--except for their ice cream consumption.

"Love you, too, Daddy! Tell Mommy I love her!" Lucy finally said before she handed the phone back to Stella and left the kitchen to start on her artwork.

"She had ice cream, didn't she?" Danny asked.

"Yeah," Stella admitted. "How'd you know?"

"She's super-excited and nearly talked my ear off."

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm not mad."

"She cried, Danny. I didn't know what to do, so I told her we'd get some, but only because it was a special occasion."

Danny laughed heartily. "She's good, isn't she?"

Stella joined in on the laughter. "Yeah, just like her parents."

"Hey, I don't ever remember using tears to get you to buy me ice cream!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Listen," he said, his tone serious, "Lindsay and I are going to be a little longer than we anticipated. Can Lucy hang out with you until we're done here?"

"Sure, that's not a problem. I picked up some chicken nuggets and broccoli for dinner, so we're good to go."

"Great! Oh, and she usually has a book to read every night. She reads most of the words by herself, but she might need help with a few of them. When you're finished reading, there should be a reading log for you to sign. It's self-explanatory, but you just need to write the book title and sign your name."

"I think I can handle that."

"No doubt. Thanks, Stell, we owe you. See ya later!"

"Bye, Danny."

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! I thought this might be a one-shot, then a two-shot, but there's so much that needs to be said in this story, so it will definitely be a three-shot.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the support for this so far! Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

Stella put down the phone and went in search of Lucy. She found the mini-Messer on her stomach on the floor in the living room, new coloring supplies splayed out in front of her. Lucy hummed a tune all her own as she concentrated on her coloring. Stella moved closer and glanced at Lucy's picture.

"I thought you were going to draw Uncle Mac a picture of a puppy."

Lucy stopped humming and coloring and glanced up at Stella. "Um, yeah, when I'm done with this one. I had to draw this first."

"I see," Stella said. "Wanna tell me what's in this picture?" she asked as she sat in the floor next to Lucy.

"Not 'til I'm finished. You wanna color with me?"

"Sure," Stella said, unable to remember the last time she had colored.

The pair colored for the next few minutes, Lucy resuming her humming. Eventually, Lucy put down her crayon and sat up.

"I'm finished!" Lucy announced excitedly.

"Excellent! Wanna tell me about it now?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, scooting over and climbing into Stella's lap. Lucy pointed to the smallest of the five figures. "That's me." She moved her finger across the paper, naming each person. "That's Mommy, and Daddy, and you, and Uncle Mac."

Stella bit back a laugh. She definitely didn't need to be told which figure was a picture of her--the defining feature was a mass of curly brown squiggles, obviously representing her hair.

"I was gonna draw Uncle Adam, and Uncle Don, and Uncle Sheldon, and Uncle Sid…" Lucy took a deep breath, "…but I got too tired!" Her body slumped forward dramatically, a visual aid backing up what she's just said. "I got a lot of uncles!"

"You sure do!" Stella exclaimed as she hugged the little girl. "That's a great picture, Luce! What's this?" Stella asked, pointing to a pink blob in the middle of the picture version of herself.

"That's yours and Uncle Mac's baby!" Lucy exclaimed as she twisted to look at Stella.

"Really?" Stella replied, trying to hide her surprise. "Do you know something I don't?"

Lucy looked at her, confusion clouding her features.

"Why do you think Uncle Mac and I will have a baby?"

"'Cause Mommy and Daddy said that when two people love each other, that's when they have a baby. Don't you and Uncle Mac love each other?"

"Of course Uncle Mac and I love each other."

"Then why don't you have a baby?"

Stella sighed, certain of two things: Lucy was undeniably Danny Messer's daughter, and this was not a conversation she wanted to--or thought she should--have with a five-year-old. Regardless, she found herself responding. "It's complicated but sometimes people who love each just don't have a baby."

"Are you scared 'cause you might have a boy? 'Cause boys are stupid! And they have cooties!"

"They do?" Stella asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, that's why I drawed you with a girl," Lucy said again pointing to the picture.

"But your daddy, Uncle Mac, and the rest of your uncles are all boys. Do they have cooties, too?"

Lucy made her thinking face again--complete with the scrunched up face and tongue poking between her lips. It was the hardest question she'd been asked all day. "No," she said finally, "they don't count 'cause it's my daddy and my uncles."

"Awesome answer, Lucy Goosey," Stella replied, fingers wiggling against Lucy's ribs.

Lucy squealed at the return of the 'tickle fingers' and squirmed, trying to slide out of Stella's lap. She scampered away, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "That tickles so much!" she exclaimed, continuing to giggle. She laughed a little while longer, then finally flopped in the floor, exhausted.

"So, do you have any homework--maybe a book you have to read?" Stella asked.

"Uh-huh, I got a book, but it's an easy one."

"Do you want to read it now?"

"Mommy and Daddy let me read 'em after dinner before I go to bed. And I need to draw a puppy for Uncle Mac right now, remember?"

"Of course I remember! What color are you going to make the puppy--or do I have to wait until you're finished?"

"You definitely gotta wait, Aunt Stella."

"Oh, okay," Stella replied in mock-defeat as she got up from the floor. "I'll be in the kitchen, so come in there when you're done, and we'll put your pictures on the fridge so Uncle Mac can see them when he comes in."

"'Kay," Lucy replied, already on her stomach, a new piece of paper in front of her, ready to be transformed into a picture for Uncle Mac.

Stella watched Lucy for a few moments, smiling as the little girl once again slipped into her own world of coloring and humming. And for the second time in just a few hours, she silently scolded herself for thinking that caring for Lucy would be a chore. Stella had to admit that the afternoon had been quite enjoyable, and she hoped to have more bonding time with Lucy soon.

**VVVVV**

**TBC**

**Thanks for reading! As you might have guessed, this has now turned into more than a three-shot. I'm not going to attempt to say how many chapters this will be. Hope that's okay! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are great. Really great. Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

Stella cleaned the kitchen and paid a few bills--things she'd planned on doing earlier in the day before she knew she'd be spending the afternoon and evening with Lucy. She checked on Lucy twice to make sure she was okay, both times finding Lucy intensely concentrating on her artwork.

Just as she moved to check on her a third time, Lucy raced into the kitchen carrying her artwork in one hand and a few crayons in the other.

"I'm almost done, Aunt Stella," Lucy stated as she put the items on the table and climbed into one of the chairs. "I just needa put Uncle Mac's name on it. Can you spell it for me?"

Stella did as Lucy requested, spelling at a pace that allowed Lucy to concentrate on her penmanship. When finished, Lucy studied the picture and finally put the crayon on the table.

"I thought that was how you spell it, but I didn't wanna mess it up, 'cause I'd have to start all over!" Elbow on the table, she rested her chin in her open palm. "Coloring is hard work!"

"It sure is!" Stella grinned as she moved to stand next to Lucy and look at the picture. The black and brown puppy was carefully drawn and colored in, and Stella's grin widened as she looked at the words. If only her male coworkers had Lucy's penmanship! "This is a wonderful picture, Luce. I'm sure Uncle Mac will love it! Do you want to put it on the fridge now or wait and give it to him when he gets here?"

"I wanna put it on the fridge now!" Lucy exclaimed as she slid off the chair and skipped to the fridge, paper in hand. She turned back to Stella. "Can you pick me up so I can put it high so Uncle Mac'll see it?"

"Of course," Stella said, quickly crossing the kitchen and lifting up the little girl.

Lucy giggled and secured her artwork to the fridge door with a magnet. The picture was slightly askew, but neither Stella nor Lucy made a move to straighten it. It was perfect just the way it was.

Once Lucy's feet were back on the floor, she raced back to the table. "I made you a picture, too, Aunt Stella. But your name is even harder to spell than Uncle Mac's!" She climbed back in the chair and once again picked up a crayon. "How do you spell your name?"

Stella spelled her name for Lucy, barely able to contain her emotions. No one had ever _made_ anything for her. Soon Stella was presented with her own piece of artwork. A giant purple X was in the middle of the paper, vertical lines connecting the top and bottom corners of the X. Smaller lines extended from the top of the X's cross. It was the prettiest butterfly Stella had ever seen.

"Thank you, Lucy Goosey," she said as she scooped Lucy into her arms and hugged her close. "This is beautiful."

"You're welcome. Can we put it next to Uncle Mac's puppy?"

"You bet!"

The second picture joined the first, and they stood back and admired Lucy's work.

"That fridge looks better already, Luce! It definitely needed some of your art."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed. "Are we gonna eat soon? I'm hungry."

Stella glanced at the clock, surprised it was already so late. "Yeah," she chuckled, "I guess I better feed you something besides ice cream before your mommy and daddy come to get you."

"Do I hafta eat the broccoli?" Lucy whined. "I don't like broccoli!"

"Vegetables help you grow big and strong! Remember Popeye? He always ate spinach, and then his muscles got _really_ big!" Stella said as she flexed her bicep.

Lucy giggled at Stella's animation. "Aunt Stella, who's Popeye?"

Stella laughed and shook her head. Of course Lucy had never heard of Popeye. Stella searched her brain for the name of any of the current cartoon characters, but all she could come up with was a vague image of a yellow sponge. Somehow she didn't think a sponge would help her argument for vegetable-eating.

"Popeye was a popular cartoon character when I was little."

"Like SpongeBob?"

"Yes, like SpongeBob," Stella answered, glad to at least know the name of the cartoon sponge taking the world by storm. "I bet SpongeBob eats his vegetables," Stella tried.

Lucy put her fists on her hips, a move she had most definitely learned from her mother. "SpongeBob lives in a pineapple in the ocean. They don't got vegetables in the ocean!"

"Oh, I see," Stella replied, biting back a laugh. She really loved this kid. And even though Stella was right about the sponge not helping with the vegetable-eating, Stella was bound and determined to find a way to get Lucy to eat the broccoli. But she would deal with that later. "Okay, it's going to be about twenty minutes before dinner's ready? Do you want to color some more? Maybe see if SpongeBob is on TV?"

"Can I help you cook? Daddy lets me help him. But not with the hot stuff…'cause it's hot."

"You can put the chicken nuggets on the pan."

"Yay!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping excitedly.

Breaded chicken nuggets probably wasn't the healthiest of meals, but at least Lucy would eat them--the ones shaped like dinosaurs, anyway. And Stella figured the chicken nuggets would be balanced by the fresh broccoli and whichever fruit Lucy picked.

Stella pulled the bag of frozen chicken nuggets from the freezer as Lucy tugged a chair to the counter and clambered up into it. Stella helped Lucy wash and dry her hands, and as soon as the pan on the counter, Lucy busied herself with lining up the dinosaur-shaped nuggets on it.

Once she was finished, she jumped off the chair and waited for Stella to put the pan in the oven. As the nuggets baked and Stella prepared the broccoli for steaming, Lucy moved the chair back to the table and cleared the table of her crayons, replacing them with plates, napkins, and forks.

"Is it done yet?" Lucy asked.

"About ten more minutes, Luce."

Lucy sighed. Ten minutes might as well have been forever! She sighed again. Waiting was so hard!

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! Yes, I know I'm utterly evil for leaving it there! Apologies for not having an appearance by a certain character in this chapter. I should really stop saying what I think will happen in the next chapter because my muse has an uncanny ability to prove me wrong. :D No idea how many more chapters, and I don't know who will show up when! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts! They make me feel special. A special thanks to lily moonlight for the encouragement. Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

Lucy waited impatiently, sitting in the chair with her legs straight out and bouncing, her chin resting on her folded arms on the edge of the table. Finally, the oven timer beeped, and Lucy sat up as she squealed with excitement. Ten minutes was a long time!

"They're hot, Luce," Stella said, turning off the oven removing the pan. "So we've got to let them cool, okay?"

"Uh-huh. Daddy and Mommy teached me how to cool it off. Blow!" Her cheeks puffed and she exhaled, demonstrating to Stella what Danny and Lindsay had 'teached' her.

"That's very good!" Stella said as she slid the pan onto the cooling rack. "What kind of fruit do you want? We've got apples, strawberries, bananas, pineapple…"

"Pineapple!" Lucy exclaimed, momentarily distracted from the cooling chicken. "Like SpongeBob's house!" she giggled.

Stella chuckled and shook her head, doubting she'd ever understand the mass obsession with the pineapple-dwelling cartoon sponge. She pulled the pineapple container from the fridge, smiling when she realized Mac had already cut the fruit into smaller pieces. Her smile widened as she shut the fridge door and got another glimpse of the pictures Lucy drew. She spooned some pineapple chunks onto both of their plates, then carried Lucy's plate the short distance to the counter where she added five dinosaur-shaped nuggets.

"You can have more if you're still hungry, but start with these, okay?" Stella said as she put the plate in front of Lucy. "Do you want me to cut them up for you so they cool down faster? They're still hot."

"Uh-uh," Lucy said, shaking her head. "I can do it by myself, Aunt Stella." Lucy had repositioned herself in the chair so that she was on her knees, just as she'd been while eating the ice cream earlier in the day. She picked up a stegosaurus-shaped nugget and blew on it like her parents taught her. Then she hungrily bit into the chicken, leaving the headless stegosaurus in her hand.

"You bit off the dinosaur's head?" Stella asked with a laugh.

"Uh-huh!" Lucy replied, nodding emphatically as she finished chewing and swallowing. "So they can't bite me first!"

"Right, we can't eat things that might bite us back."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed as she took another bite.

Stella grinned as she picked up her own plate and moved back to the counter to add nuggets--and broccoli--to it.

Lucy finished her second nugget as Stella sat down.

"Wow, Lucy Goosey, you must love those!"

"I already eated two, see?! I only got--" she paused and counted the remaining ones, "--three more. And my pineapple."

"You've got an appetite like your daddy!"

"Mommy says Daddy's always hungry for good food and good lovin'," Lucy replied as she picked up a piece of pineapple with her fingers and popped it in her mouth. "So I tell Daddy I love him a lot."

Stella was thankful for Lucy's innocence, knowing the 'good lovin'' for which Danny had an appetite was vastly different from the love Lucy spoke of. Stella made a mental note to talk to the Messers about filtering their conversations, or at least being sure Lucy wasn't around while they had _that_…conversation. Lucy would only be sweet and innocent for so long…

"That's good. I think daddies need to be told they're loved," Stella said with a sad smile. _She assumed, anyway. Not that she'd ever had a dad to tell._

Lucy bit off the head of another dinosaur and giggled.

Pulled back into the moment by Lucy's peals of laughter, Stella found herself smiling. She picked up one of her own dinosaur-shaped nuggets and studied it for a second before animatedly biting off the head.

"You're funny, Aunt Stella," Lucy cackled.

"You're the funny one! You showed me how entertaining it is to bite off their heads, Lucy Goosey!" She finished the nugget and picked up another one. "Hey, you know what dinosaurs like to do for fun?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Well," Stella said as she picked up a piece of broccoli from her plate, "they like to eat trees!" she finished, showing Lucy how the dinosaur munched on the 'tree' for fun.

"That's not a tree, that's broccoli!"

"I don't know," Stella said lightly, inspecting the broccoli stalk in her hand. "It sure looks like a _dinosaur _tree to me!"

Lucy cocked her head to the side and studied Stella. "But dinosaurs are _really_ big. Don't the trees gotta be big, too, so they get full?"

"Ah," Stella replied, thinking quickly, "but these dinosaurs are small, so they only need small trees."

Lucy pondered that for a moment, thinking face firmly plastered on. "Okay," she finally said as she shrugged her shoulders and picked up another piece of pineapple.

Stella went back to eating, slightly bummed that she hadn't talked Lucy into eating, or at least trying, the broccoli. She was positive that the 'dinosaur tree' angle would work.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, Lucy finishing all the nuggets and pineapple on her plate. "Aunt Stella? Could I have some more dinosaurs?"

"Sure, sweetie," Stella said as she stood and carried Lucy's plate to the counter. "How many do you want?"

"Three," Lucy stated, matter-of-factly. "And some dinosaur trees, too."

Stella couldn't help but smile. "I thought you didn't like the trees," she said lightly.

"Um, my three dinosaurs gotta eat."

"Oh, I see," Stella said as she put the requested food on Lucy's plate and carried it back to the table.

Lucy picked up a dinosaur in one hand and a 'tree' in the other, mimicking Stella's actions from only minutes before. And after a few moments, Lucy terminated the dinosaur's 'munching' by biting off its head and shoving the 'tree' into her mouth.

Stella's eyebrows raised in surprise as she watched the scene unfold.

_Okay, so playing with food wasn't using the best manners, but at least it was effective in getting Lucy to eat broccoli._

Lucy continued munching on the 'trees' until her plate was once again empty. "I'm finished!" she announced with a grin.

"Did you enjoy those dinosaurs and their yummy trees?"

"Uh-huh! I like dino trees! Can we read my book now?"

Stella grinned widely at Lucy's quick shift in focus. "We sure can," she said as she quickly finished eating, stood, and cleared the table. "Let's wash our hands so we don't mess up the book."

Five minutes later they lounged on the couch, Stella on one end, and Lucy practically sitting on her lap.

"Okay, Lucy Goosey, what's this book we're reading?"

Lucy's fingers trailed across the cover of the book as she sounded out the words. "Good--_Goodnight Moon_." She squirmed, trying to find a better position.

"Exactly!" Stella exclaimed as she put her left arm on the back of the couch in an effort to make Lucy more comfortable.

Lucy scooted even closer to Stella and opened the cover of the book. "Can you hold this side of the book? I can hold the other side, but I gotta point at the words when I read 'em. 'Cause I might lose my place."

Stella held the book with her right hand, and Lucy began to read, only asking for Stella's help on a few words. Lucy read about all the things in the green room and how the little rabbit had to say goodnight to everyone of them.

Finishing the book, Lucy closed it and yawned widely. "I'm sleepy, Aunt Stella. When's Daddy and Mommy coming to get me?"

"I don't know, Luce," Stella told her, dropping her arm from the back of the couch to Lucy's shoulders. "You want to go get in the bed and sleep 'til they get here?"

Sleepily, Lucy nodded. "Can you carry me?"

"Sure," Stella said as she took the book from Lucy's hands and laid it on the table in front of the couch. She stood and picked up a very sleep Lucy, who immediately rested her head on Stella's shoulder.

Stella chuckled to herself at the sudden drop in Lucy's energy. There was no winding down period; when Lucy was finished, she was finished! She carried Lucy down the hall and into the extra bedroom where she carefully pulled down the covers and laid Lucy in the middle of the bed. She pulled the sheet and blanket up over Lucy and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"Stay with me," Lucy mumbled sleepily.

Of course Stella was unable to resist, so she climbed in the bed beside Lucy, who once again snuggled closer to her. Stella rubbed Lucy's back soothingly and soon heard Lucy's breathing change, indicating she was fast asleep. And though it was just past 8 o'clock, Stella felt her eyelids slipping closed, and she joined Lucy in slumber.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts. I can say, to paraphrase Mac, that if it weren't for you awesome people, I wouldn't do this. **

**So many of you requested some SMacked, so here you go. This is for you. Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

The next thing Stella knew, a pair of lips--definitely not Lucy's--were pressed against her forehead. Under normal circumstances, her first reaction would have been to fight, but even in her semi-conscious state, she recognized the feel of those lips on her skin. Her smile widened as her eyes fluttered open and looked into the blue orbs of the man she'd loved for so long.

"Hey," he whispered, careful to not wake Lucy.

"Hey," Stella replied as she gently rolled Lucy off of her and sat up on the edge of the bed. "I guess I fell asleep," she told him as she glanced back to check on Lucy.

"Yeah, looks like it. You scared me, though. You didn't answer either phone."

"I'm sorry. What time is it?" Stella asked as she made her way to the door and headed down the hall.

"A little after nine," Mac told her as he followed her out of the bedroom. "Danny and Lindsay'll be here soon. I bolted when I couldn't reach you."

A smile graced Stella's face as she turned and pulled Mac into a tight hug. "You're sweet."

"Eh, well, that's a matter of opinion."

"Fortunately, when it comes to you, mine is the only one that counts."

They pulled apart, though only slightly, before their lips met in a sweet kiss.

"Aunt Stella…" Lucy called from the bedroom.

Mac reluctantly broke the kiss and chuckled. "You're being paged."

"Yeah, but just wait 'til she finds out you're here."

"Aunt Stella?" Lucy yelled again, fear creeping into her voice.

"I'm coming, Lucy Goosey!" Stella called as she slipped out of Mac's grasp and headed back to the bedroom. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Lucy was close to crying, and she climbed into Stella's lap. "I'm scared of the dark, and I woke up, but you were gone!"

"Oh, Luce! I'm so sorry," Stella exclaimed as she hugged Lucy to her. "I didn't know the dark frightened you. But there's nothing to be scared of; I'm here now."

Mac, leaning on the doorframe, watched the entire exchange. "Guess who else is here."

Suddenly as wide awake as she'd been after the ice cream, Lucy scrambled off of Stella's lap and made a beeline for Mac. "Uncle Mac! Uncle Mac!" Lucy squealed as he lifted her off the ground and over his head.

"How's my favorite goddaughter?" Mac asked as he lowered her so her face level with his.

Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. "Me and Aunt Stella had a lotta fun today! Oh," she said, pulling back and squirming to get down, "I drawed you a picture!"

"Really?" Mac asked as he put her down.

"Yeah," she said, taking his hand and pulling him after her.

Mac glanced at Stella, eyebrows raised.

Stella grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "She was like that all day until she passed out from exhaustion," she told him as she followed them out of the bedroom. "Apparently she's recharged," she finished with a laugh.

Lucy led Mac into the kitchen and pointed at the fridge. "The puppy is for you! And I did it all by myself!"

"You did?" Mac asked as he walked to the fridge to get a closer look.

"Uh-huh!"

"Well, this is a fine-looking puppy, Lucy. Thank you!" he exclaimed.

"Welcome! I drawed it 'cause Aunt Stella said you wouldn't like a real one."

"She did?" Mac asked, eyebrows quirked as his gaze slid from Lucy up to Stella.

"She wanted to go to the pet store," Stella explained.

"Was this before or after the ice cream?" Mac smirked.

"What?" Stella replied with a smirk of her own. "Did Danny tell _everyone _I'm a pushover?"

Mac laughed. "No, just that Lucy can be very persuasive." He turned his attention back to Lucy. "So, does my new puppy have a name?"

"Um…" Lucy made her 'thinking face.' "You name him!" she finally declared.

"Okay," Mac agreed with a nod. "Well, we're lucky to have a goddaughter like you, and we're lucky to have this puppy, so how about we name him 'Lucky?'"

"Yeah, that's a good name," Lucy agreed, nodding emphatically.

Just then the doorbell rang, and Stella grinned as she left Mac and Lucy in the kitchen, their conversation shifting to finding a name for the butterfly. No doubt it would have the perfect name.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading!**

**I know this is a weird place to leave it, but I couldn't find a better place--yes, there's more already written--for a chapter break.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to everyone who's still with me! **

**Dedication: Julia--this fic wouldn't exist without you. I won't forget that.**

**VVVVV**

Stella checked the peephole and saw two weary, yet smiling, faces.

"Hey, you two," Stella greeted the Messers with a smile as she pulled open the door and let them pass through.

"Hey, Stell," Danny replied. "You look rested."

"Yeah, right," Stella laughed. "Lucy and I were asleep when Mac came home. She wore me out!"

"She tends to do that," Lindsay added.

"You know, I gotta tell you, I've never seen Mac bust out of a place that fast," Danny said. "But I'm glad to see that you and Lucy are fine." He clapped his hands together and looked past Stella. "Where is Lucy, anyway?"

"Daddy! Mommy!" Lucy squealed as she zoomed past Stella in a blur, eager to greet her parents. Her arms wrapped around Lindsay's waist in a quick hug, then she held her arms up to Danny for him to pick her up.

"Hey, Baby Girl!" Danny exclaimed as he lifted her up. "Mommy and I missed you today!" he told her, kissing her cheek.

"I missed you and Mommy, too, but me and Aunt Stella did fun things all day!"

"I bet you did! What else did you do besides get ice cream?"

"Daddy!" Lucy exclaimed with a minor eye-roll, arms held out wide. "I already telled you on the phone!"

"Well, Daddy didn't tell me," Lindsay interjected. "So what'd you and Aunt Stella do?"

"Um, got ice cream, and crayons and paper…"

"Luce, you've got a whole bunch of crayons at home!" Lindsay sighed.

"But I didn't got any here, and I really needed to draw Lucky."

"What's Lucky?"

"Uncle Mac's puppy."

"Uncle Mac got a puppy?" Danny asked surprised.

"Not a real one, 'cause Aunt Stella said he wouldn't like a real one. So I drawed a puppy--"

"You _drew _a puppy," Lindsay corrected her.

Lucy sighed. "I _drew _a puppy for Uncle Mac," she repeated, emphasizing the corrected word just as Lindsay had, "and a butterfly for Aunt Stella. Wanna see 'em?" she asked as she squirmed in Danny's grasp.

"Sure do, Luce," Danny said with a smile. "Lead the way."

Moments later, Lucy led the three adults into the kitchen where Mac had begun to load the dishes in the dishwasher.

"See?" Lucy said, pointing to the fridge. "That's Lucky and Sunny."

"Sunny?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, that's what me and Uncle Mac…"

"That's what Uncle Mac and I," Lindsay corrected her again.

"Mommy! I'm trying to say what I did today!" Lucy whined, fists on her hips.

"And that's fine, Luce, but we need to work on your grammar."

"Relax, honey," Danny said, lightly squeezing Lindsay's shoulder. "She's only five. Of course her grammar isn't going to be perfect." He squatted down to Lucy's level. "So Sunny is the butterfly?"

"Yeah, that's what me and Uncle Mac named her."

Lindsay took a breath and started to correct Lucy again but held back when she caught the look Danny shot her way.

"Do you like that name, Aunt Stella? 'Cause if you don't, you can change it."

"I'm not changing it, Lucy Goosey, that's a perfect name!"

"I was going to ask you about that, Stell. 'Lucy Goosey?'" Mac said as he loaded the last dish into the dishwasher and moved to stand next to Stella.

"Yeah," Lucy giggled. "That's what Aunt Stella calls me."

"Cute," Danny offered.

"And Aunt Stella does 'tickle fingers,' too!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Yeah, let's show 'em!" Stella said, fingers flexed, as she headed toward Lucy, ready to demonstrate.

"Don't let her get me, Uncle Mac!" Lucy shrieked as she ran to hide behind her parents.

"I won't!" Mac promised as he followed Stella and wrapped her in a loose embrace. "Hurry, Luce! Use the 'tickle fingers' on Aunt Stella!"

"Mac, no!" Stella declared, trying to break free of Mac's grasp, only to have him tighten up. "Come on, Lucy. You don't really want to tickle me, do you?"

Lucy nodded and grinned widely as she ran to Stella and began tickling her ribs as Stella had done to her all afternoon.

Stella squirmed, really trying to get away, but Mac held on and Lucy's fingers dug deep into Stella's ribs. Finally able to get an arm free, Stella swung more out of reaction than thought, her elbow landing swiftly in Mac's ribs.

Stunned, Mac released his hold on Stella, a hand immediately going to his injured ribs.

"Hey, Luce," Danny said, the smile fading from his lips, "I think 'tickle fingers' is over for the night, okay?"

Lucy sighed and backed away from Stella, then sulked across the room to her parents.

"Oh, Mac, I'm so sorry," Stella said, turning toward him. She reached to pull his shirt from his pants. "Are you okay? Let me see."

"I'm fine," he said as he pushed her hands away.

"Lucy," Lindsay said as she ran her hand over her daughter's hair, smoothing it, "why don't you go pack up your stuff. It's way past your bedtime!"

Again, Lucy did as she was told without putting up much of a fight. She bounded back into the kitchen less than a minute later. "You didn't sign my book paper!" she said, handing the reading log to Stella. "I know 'cause only Daddy and Mommy writed on so far."

Again, Lindsay wanted to correct her daughter, but refrained when she saw the look she got from her husband.

"You're absolutely right!" Stella stated. "What would I do without you here to remind me?"

"Um, you'd forget!"

The four adults laughed at Lucy's innocent answer, and Stella pulled Lucy into a hug.

"Then you'd better come over more often!" Stella told her. "Come on, let's go find a pen."

"Can I leave my crayons and paper here? So's I'll have 'em when I come back?" Lucy asked as she and Stella left the kitchen.

"You sure can! We'll even find you a special place to leave them, okay?"

"Yeah," Lucy agreed with a yawn.

Together, they packed Lucy's things, and soon Mac, Danny, and Lindsay joined them in the room. Everyone stood near the door, exhausted from the long day--even Lucy's second wind seemed to be disappearing. She tugged on the hem of Stella's shirt.

Stella squatted so that she was eye-level with Lucy. "What's up?"

"I had a lotta fun today. Thanks, Aunt Stella." She hugged Stella and kissed her on the cheek.

"You're so welcome!" Stella replied, wrapping her arms around the little girl.

"Can I come back and have more dinos and dino trees?"

"You got it, Lucy Goosey," Stella said with a grin.

"Okay, Baby Girl," Danny said, "we gotta get you to bed, so say goodnight to Uncle Mac."

"'Night, Uncle Mac," Lucy said, arms in the air, obviously wanting him to pick her up.

He picked her up and hugged her; Lucy returned the hug, kissing his cheek as she had Stella's.

"Stell, thank you again for watching her," Lindsay said.

"Not a problem," Stella smiled. "As Lucy said, we had a lot of fun today. She's a great kid, Linds."

"Yeah," Lindsay said with a chuckle. "I think she's a keeper."

"Definitely," Danny declared as he gently tugged on one of Lucy's pigtails.

"Daddy!" Lucy protested.

"Lucy!" Danny mocked her. "Come on," he said in his normal voice. "I'll carry you."

Mac passed Lucy to Danny, and Lindsay picked up Lucy's small backpack.

Then they said their goodbyes, and Mac shut the door after the Messers left.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Again, this is a weird place to leave it, I know, but it's the only place that made sense with what's left. Yes, there's one more chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all the reviews/favorites/alerts for this and my other stories. **

**For afrozenheart412 - at times I thought you were reading my mind. Thanks for the invaluable support and encouragement…and the yummy pics. :D**

**Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

"I take it you had a good day?" Mac said as he closed the door and turned back to Stella.

Stella smiled as she walked into his embrace. "Yeah, we did. I was terrified when Lindsay asked me to pick up Lucy, though."

"Why?" Mac asked with a slight chuckle.

"I don't know. I mean, I've been around her a good bit, but you, Danny, or Lindsay were always there, too. That makes a difference. I was worried I'd do something wrong."

"Oh, give yourself some credit, Stell. I've seen how you interact with her," he encouraged, hugging her tighter.

Stella laughed. "She cried and I bought her ice cream."

"Yeah, but I saw from the plates in the kitchen that you also got her to eat a fruit _and_ a vegetable--broccoli at that. How many kids do you know who willingly eat broccoli?"

Stella pulled back and smiled at him. "I guess I am pretty good…"

"Better than pretty good."

"Are we still talking about the same thing?" she smirked, looking at him through playfully squinted eyes.

Mac chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Probably not."

Stella sighed happily but slowly pushed away from him. "You really didn't have to clean up the kitchen, but thank you."

"Well, I knew you had a hard day. It was the least I could do."

"Not as hard as yours. Rough day with all the bad guys?" she said as she made her way across the room toward the hallway.

"To say the least. Sometimes I think people just enjoy committing crimes."

"Yeah, but not as much as we enjoy catching them," Stella countered. "Criminals keep us employed!"

"True," he agreed, nodding his head and following her.

"Do you want me to fix you something to eat?"

"No, I ate."

"When?" Stella asked, knowing Mac had a habit of forgetting to eat when he was busy--as he always was--with work. Unless Stella was there to remind him.

"Fine," Mac said in mock-protest. "It was lunch."

"Mac…"

"I'm just not hungry. All I want to do is take a shower then enjoy the company of my _wife_."

"Flattery," she said, turning and grinning, "will actually get you everywhere, Mac Taylor," she said, kissing him quickly.

She could hear him laughing as she headed down the hall and into the bedroom where Lucy and she had napped. As she finished straightening the bedcovers, she heard the shower start. Smoothing her hand over the comforter one last time, a smile came to her lips. She had really enjoyed the afternoon with Lucy.

Ten minutes later, changed into pajamas, Stella flopped down on the couch and picked up the remote. Just as she powered on the TV, Mac, wearing only pajama pants, joined her.

She tracked his movement, her grin only fading when she noticed the angry red mark on the skin covering the right side of his ribcage. "Is that from…?"

"…your 'elbows of death?' Yeah."

"Oh, Mac, I'm so sorry," she told him as he sat down next to her. "It's kind of your fault though. You know how ticklish I am."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you were susceptible to _everyone's_ tickling!"

"I am! If it makes you feel better, I've got a bruise or two from today's escapades."

"No, Stell, it doesn't make me feel better knowing that you've got bruises. What happened?"

"You know when you announced your presence to Lucy, and she left me in the dust to get to you? Well, let's just say that little girl elbows--and feet, for that matter--don't feel so great either. But it's okay. I'm a big girl," she finished with a smile.

Mac smiled too, then noticed something on the table. "I hope that sandwich is for you," he said, shooting a glance in her direction.

"I already ate dinner," she said saccharinely. "Dinos and trees. Oh, and pineapple."

"Stella…"

"Mac, just eat it," she told him seriously.

"Fine," he agreed with a tiny eye roll. "But only because you already made it." He picked up the sandwich and took a bite. "What's this?" he asked as he picked up the piece of construction paper with his free hand.

"Another of Lucy's drawings."

"Let me guess which one's you," Mac teased.

"I sure stand out, don't I?" Stella said lightly, sitting up so she could get another look at the picture. "She wanted to draw all of us, but she said she got too tired. I believe her exact words were, 'I got a lot of uncles!'"

"And one totally awesome aunt," Mac said, taking another bite of the sandwich.

"Mac!" Stella giggled and elbowed him playfully. "Never ever say 'totally awesome' again. Please."

"Okay, fine," Mac laughed. "I'll never again say that if you promise to tone it down with the 'elbows of death.'"

"Deal," Stella agreed. "And I have other weapons besides my elbows, just so you know," she smirked.

"Yes, I remember." He glanced at the drawing again. "What's the pink thing you've got?"

"Our baby," Stella told him simply.

"Oh, really?" he asked amused. "Something you'd like to share?"

"Lucy's under the impression that every time two people love each other, they should have a baby."

Mac caught Stella's eye. "Maybe Lucy's right, Stell."

Stella's forehead wrinkled in momentary confusion, and she looked away as the meaning of his words sunk in. "I don't know, Mac…"

The phone rang and Mac cursed under his breath as Stella--obviously grateful for the interruption--got up to answer it.

"Hey, guys!" Stella said cheerfully, as though the uncomfortable baby conversation hadn't just taken place.

On their end of the line, Danny and Lindsay were on speakerphone. "Hey, Stell," Danny said. "We were just wonderin'…what are 'dino trees?'"

"Lucy can't hear you, right?" Stella asked cautiously.

"No, she's asleep," Lindsay affirmed. "She was out like a light before we even left the parking lot at your place."

"Broccoli."

"No way!" Danny exclaimed. "I mean, I knew you said you bought it, but I didn't think there was any way you'd actually get her to eat it. What'd you do, cover it in ice cream?"

"Danny!" Lindsay scolded.

Danny grunted, signaling to Stella that Lindsay had landed a blow of her own. "What? I was just kiddin'! Stella knows that!"

"So how'd you do it?" Lindsay continued.

Stella filled them in on her conversation with Lucy. "I'm sorry. I know you probably don't let her play with her food…"

"I don't even care about that, now!" Lindsay exclaimed, voice full of excitement. "I'm just ecstatic that she ate a vegetable! I think we should make this a weekly thing--you know, dino trees with Aunt Stella."

"I'd love to have her anytime, guys," Stella said honestly. "Hey, um, while I've got you two on the line, Lucy said something to me that I think you might need to be aware of."

"Okay, what is it?" Danny asked.

"Well, it's something about how Danny always has an appetite for good food and good lovin'," she said, unable to keep the laughter from her voice.

Lindsay groaned then all Stella heard was silence.

"Anybody there? Lindsay? Danny? Guys?"

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Fret not, my friends! While this is the end of 'Lucy Goosey,' we've not seen the last of Stella and Lucy's interaction. I've so enjoyed writing this, and because many of you suggested/requested additional chapters and/or stories, I've decided to make 'Lucy Goosey' into a series. I hope everyone will join me!**


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